CARSTAR WEEKLY RACING SERIES SET TO KICK-OFF THEIR SEASON FRIDAY EVENING

(Halifax, NS, May 23, 2018) This Saturday the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour will make its first of four stops this season at Scotia Speedworld for the Cummins 150. The Cummins 150 will mark round two of 12 for the elite stock car racing series that will visit four Maritime markets throughout the season. Atlantic Tiltload Heat Races for the Cummins 150 gets underway at 4:00 PM with grandstands gates opening at 1:00 PM.

Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, NS) heads to his home track with the championship points lead after taking home the first checkered flag of the season last weekend at Petty International Raceway. 2016 Series champion Cole Butcher (Porter’s Lake, NS) enters round two in second position and also calls Scotia Speedworld home. Darren MacKinnon (Charlottetown, PE) sits in the third position while Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) and Dylan Gosbee (Cornwall, PE) round out the top five in points respectively.

The Exide Batteries Rookie of the Year battle kicked-off last weekend with Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) having a great run with a seventh place finish earning him Rookie of the Race and a spot just outside the top five in the points standings. Waylon Farrell (Conception Bay South, NL) and Braden Langille (Shubenacadie, NS) also had respectable runs against a stout field in the Season Opener, both freshman drivers came home with top-20 finishes.

Joe Chisholm and the gang from Race Time Radio will back on the road with the Tour for seven events, beginning with Saturday’s Cummins 150. Race broadcasts will be available for listeners absolutely free, no subscription necessary, via www.racetimeradio.com by clicking the “Listen Live” link.

The Maritime League of Legends will kick off their 2018 campaign with a 50 lap feature prior to the Pro Stock feature.

The CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series will have their second attempt at getting the season underway with CTV Night on Friday. Four divisions will be in action, including the Affordable Fuels Sportsman, Toursec Thunder and Lightning and the Strictly Hydraulics Legend classes. Matt Vaughan (Bedford), Paul Goulden (Shelburne) and Dave Matthews (Kennetcook) will return full time to try and defend their championships earned a season ago while we are sure to see Toursec Lightning car champion Scott Thibodeau (Williamswood) in a number of big events in 2018. Pre-registration numbers are strong heading into the year and drivers are anxious to see the first green flag on Friday.

Admission for Saturday’s Cummins 150 is $25.00 for adults; $8.00 for youth (8-15yrs); pit admission is $30.00. Admission for CTV night is $15.00 for adults, $5.00 for youth; pit admission is $18.00. Weekend passes are available, adults weekend passes are $35.00 for grandstands, $40.00 for pits. Children 7 and under are admitted for free all season at Scotia Speedworld. Tickets will be available at the gates on race day (Cash Only).

EXPECTED ENTRY LIST – Cummins 150 as of May 23

#03 – Stephen Halpin – Saint John, NB

#07 – Allison MacKinnon – Oyster Bed Bridge, PE

#08 - Nicholas Naugle - Dartmouth, NS

#0 - Shawn Turple - Enfield, NS

#5 – Jonathan Hicken – Brudenell, PE

#8 - Kent Vincent - Westmoreland, PE

#13 - Cory Hall - Jolicure, NB

#14 – Terry Dougay – Albany, PE

#18 – Darren MacKinnon – Charlottetown, PE

#21 - Shawn Pierce - Bridgewater, NS

#29 - Greg Proude - Springvale, PE

#30 – Stephen Lively – Shubenacadie, NS

#32 – Sarah McKay – Quispamsis, NB

#40 – Robbie MacEwen – Charlottetown, PE

#48 – Waylon Farrell – Conception Bay South, NL

#49 – Harry Ross White – Kennetcook, NS

#51 – Braden Langille – Shubenacadie, NS

#53 – Cole Butcher – Porter’s Lake, NS

#54 – Jarrett Butcher – Porter’s Lake, NS

#67 – Dylan Blenkhorn – Truro, NS

#81 – Nevin Scott – Marshfield, PE

#82 – Chris Hughes – Brackley Beach, PE

#89 – Donald Chisholm – Antigonish, NS

#91 – Dylan Gosbee – Cornwall, PE

#97 – John Flemming – Halifax, NS

#99 - Craig Slaunwhite - Terence Bay, NS

*Entry list subject to change without notice

About Cummins:

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from diesel and natural gas engines to hybrid and electric platforms, as well as related technologies, including battery systems, fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.A.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins currently employs approximately 58,600 people committed to powering a more prosperous world. Cummins serves customers in about 190 countries and territories through a network of some 500 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 7,500 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1 billion on sales of $20.4 billion in 2017

About the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour:

The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour (PST) is considered the highest level of stock car racing in Canada. The Tour is recognized in the industry as one of the healthiest stock car racing series in North America. PST visits five tracks throughout the Maritimes during its May through September season. The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour is owned and operated by Maritime Pro Stock Tour Limited. For more information, call our administration office at 902.481.2531 or click www.maritimeprostocktour.com . You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prostocktour and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prostocktour

About Scotia Speedworld:

Scotia Speedworld (SSW) is a 3/10-mile asphalt oval racing facility. SSW is the only track in Nova Scotia to host a weekly racing series, which runs May through September and features six different classes of racecars. SSW also hosts special events, including Monster Jam and the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour. SSW is located at Exit 6 on Highway 102, across from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. For more information please click on www.ScotiaSpeedworld.ca or call our Event Hotline at (902) 873-2277 or our office at (902) 481-2514. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sswracing and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/sswracing

Ohsweken Set To Wrap Up May With McDonald’s Of Brantford And Paris Night This Friday

By Clayton Johns

OHSWEKEN, Ont. – May 23, 2018 – Ohsweken Speedway is set to resume Friday Night Excitement action and wrap up the month of May with McDonald’s of Brantford and Paris night on Friday, May 25. Track officials have been hard at work this week as they continue to prepare the racing surface for the upcoming week’s action featuring the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars, Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars, Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks and HRW Automotive Mini Stocks. Race time is 7:30pm with grandstand gates opening at 6:00pm. Adult admission is just $14 while Seniors (65+) and Youths (13-17) are only $10. Kids aged 7-12 are only $3 and Kids 6 and under are free. This pricing is in effect for all weekly racing shows.

Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint CarsThe Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars got off to a strong start last week and were 17 cars strong on opening night. Reigning division champion Dylan Westbrook started his title defense in spectacular fashion as he claimed victory in the main event while also capturing the Ackland Insurance Top Gun award as the night’s top qualifier. He holds the point lead entering week two over second-place finisher Cory Turner and third-place Mikey Kruchka. Rookie driver Mack DeMan, the reigning Crate Sprint Car champion, scored a top-five finish in his first 360 Sprint Car start with a fourth-place finish while Tyler Hendricks rounded out the top-five.

Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint CarsThe drivers in the Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Car division are coming off a busy weekend that featured a pair of races. Last Friday’s race was a double points night for both track points and with the upstart Action Sprint Tour powered by RaceRivalz.com when Aaron Turkey scored the victory. Several drivers also made the trip with the tour to Merrittville Speedway where Shone Evans picked up the win. Jesse Costa finished in the runner-up spot last Friday night ahead of the night’s chard charger, DJ Christie. Rookie pilot Lucas Smith made a splash in his debut with a fourth-place finish while Evans earned a top-five in the 2018 lid lifter.

Middleport Mechanical Thunder StocksThe Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks saw a familiar face visit Lucas Oil Victory Lane last week as the defending division champion Dave Bailey claimed the top spot. He outpaced reigning Mini Stock champion Mark Bazuin, who finished second after charging from 14th in his debut. Billy Bleich claimed the final spot on the podium one week ago while Ken Sargent and Trevor DeBoer rounded out the top-five following a furious final few laps.

HRW Automotive Mini StocksThe HRW Automotive Mini Stocks will see a new champion in 2018 after Mark Bazuin made the jump to the Thunder Stock division. Nick Masi made a statement on opening night that he intends to challenge for the title as he dominated from the drop of the green flag and led all 15 laps to claim the opening night victory. He held off Dusty DeBoer who held down second for the balance of the race while Bobby Tolton came from the 22nd starting spot to finish third. Behind them, a flurry of three and four-wide racing resulted in Sean Iftody and Jonathan Ayrton claiming the final spots in the top-five.

Ohsweken Speedway Live StreamCan’t make it to the track or don’t live within driving distance? No problem! Check out all of Ohsweken’s weekly Friday Night Excitement action live online for free via the Ohsweken Speedway Live Stream. The stream goes live at 7:30pm EST each race night at www.OhswekenSpeedway.ca.

About McDonald’s Restaurants of Brantford & Paris: McDonald’s restaurants have served the world some of its favourite food since 1955. McDonald’s is more than just your local restaurant. They’re hardworking small businessmen and women, students working part-time, seniors getting the most out of life, and volunteers lending time to make a difference in the communities they live and work in. McDonald’s locations in Brantford include 73 King George Road, 27 Stanley Street, 300 King George Road, and 299 Wayne Gretzky Parkway, while they’re also in Paris at 307 Grand River Street North. Grab a bite to eat on the way to the races, or visit the drive-thru on your way home. Visit www.McDonalds.ca for more information.

About Ohsweken Speedway: Founded in 1996, Ohsweken Speedway’s wide and fast 3/8 mile clay oval track is Canada’s Home for Sprint Car Racing Action! The facility is owned by the Styres family, and located in the village of Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada. Situated 20 minutes southeast of Brantford, 30 minutes southwest of Hamilton, just over 60 minutes from Niagara Falls, and 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, Ohsweken Speedway is easily accessible to fans from all over Southern Ontario and beyond. Ohsweken’s Friday Night Excitement program runs from May to September each year, featuring 360 Sprint Cars, Crate Sprint Cars, Thunder Stocks, and Mini Stocks, while future stars start their careers racing in the track’s weekly Thursday Night Micro Sprint program. The season finishes each year with the track’s signature event; drivers and teams from all over North America converging on Ohsweken for the annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend.

CAISTOR CENTRE, Ont. – May 23, 2018 – Following a long off-season and several practice sessions, Team Turner Racing finally got into race mode at Ohsweken Speedway’s season opener last Friday night. Cory Turner led the way for TTR with a second-place finish in the KT Tobacco No.97.

“For the Feature, we pulled a six for starting position in the redraw,” said Cory, who earned a fourth-place finish in the heat to qualify for the redraw. “We got up to third and then made a mistake and spun out, but ended up getting back up to second. I was pretty happy with the car. I have some things, if the track is similar this week, I’d like to change. On the podium opening night, you have to be happy with that.”

For Jamie Turner, the patriarch of the team, it was an excellent opportunity to kickoff another exciting season of action behind the wheel of the Charlie Bee Honey No.11 after a busy off-season of preparation.

“It’s always fun to go back to the racetrack. It was a long winter,” Turner said. “We worked on our engine program, here at DSE. We’re looking forward to taking those to the track. It was a whole lot of going over everything to maximize what we’ve got to try and get some more speed.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Turner was quite pleased with how his No.91 felt throughout the balance of the night, which he drove to a 10th-place finish in the main event after a third-place effort in his heat.

“The car felt really good,” Ryan said. “The engine that DSE built felt really good and the car was handling really well. We just didn’t want to wreck things or create more problems. Hopefully we can have some better finishes going forward.”

Jamie also debuted his new blue and white look to the No.11, which is a throwback colour scheme to his early racing days.

“When I started racing I was blue and white,” Jamei explained. “I said to the boys, ‘when I finish racing I’m going to be blue and white too.’ Not that this is my last year, but we changed it for this year.”

With opening night in the books at Ohsweken, Team Turner Racing is preparing for its first doubleheader weekend of the season. Ryan and Jamie will compete at Ohsweken on Friday night before heading east to Brighton Speedway for the Southern Ontario Sprints opener, which was rescheduled after last Saturday’s rainout.

“We’re looking forward to this weekend,” Jamie said. “We’re going to take it one night at a time. I enjoy running Brighton. It’s a good racetrack and Mark Rinaldi does a good job there.”

“From a driver’s standpoint, it’s always nice get out for Hot Laps at Brighton, go hammer down all the way around that place and lay down about a 12-second lap,” said Ryan, echoing Jamie’s excitement. “We want to try out our slick stuff and maybe go after Westbrook and the Browns to show how much we’ve learned in the off-season.”

Cory Turner will be in action at Ohsweken on Friday night and plans to race again on the weekend, but continues to weigh a couple of different Saturday and Sunday options.

About Clayton Johns Media: Clayton Johns Media provides smart motorsports media solutions through affordable public relations services, including professional press releases, social media management and training, and website maintenance. Whether you’re a grassroots team racing at your local track or a professional team travelling with a national tour, Clayton Johns Media can build a package tailored to your needs. Visit us online at claytonjohnsmedia.com, on Twitter, on Facebook or send us an Email for more information.

SCOTT STECKLY TO BE HONOURED WITH CANADIAN MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

For Immediate Release

Scott Steckly to be Honoured with Canadian MotorsportsHall of Fame Induction

Milverton, ON, Wednesday May 23, 2018: It is with great pleasure that 22 Racing announce today that team owner Scott Steckly is being inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame as a former driver. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday Oct. 20, 2018 at the Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto.

Scott Steckly is a four-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion recording 19 wins, 17 poles and leading an unprecedented 4,829 laps during his nine years racing in this series. He also holds the distinction of being one of only 38 drivers in NASCAR history to have won four or more championships.

“This is such an amazing honour and I am so proud to be included with this remarkable group of inductees.” said Scott Steckly owner of 22 Racing. “Its something I‘ve never given any thought to but now that it is happening it’s a little overwhelming. I couldn’t have done any of this without the incredible team of people and the fantastic sponsors I’m blessed to be able to work with, so this award is for all of them as well. My family have inspired me to be the best I can be and their confidence in me also helped achieve all of this and for that I am very thankful.”

Steckly has firmly set his sights on winning more championships now as a team owner with his 22 Racing team fielding cars for other drivers. In 2018 he owns and prepares cars for three full time teams. Past Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Alex Tagliani plus highly skilled drivers Marc-Antoine Camirand and Donald Theetge make a run for the Team Owner championship in 2018 a real possibility.

“I have to say that retiring from racing was a difficult decision but one that was best for the business of 22 Racing and I feel I still have a lot left to accomplish in motorsports including wins and more championships.” added Steckly.

CAISTOR CENTRE, Ont. – May 23, 2018 – After a long and cold off-season, Cory Turner finally got to kickoff his 2018 season at Ohsweken Speedway’s season opening race on Friday night. Turner started the season off in spectacular fashion with a second-place finish in the main event behind the wheel of the KT Tobacco/Silo Wireless No.97 Sprint Car.

The night started with a tough heat race as 18 cars were signed in for competition. Turner was set to do battle with nine cars and had to be aggressive in order to gain enough passing points and earn a top starting spot in the main event.

“The car was good all night,” Turner said. “I took it easy off the start in the heat race because I was worried somebody might wreck, but we ended up going from seventh to fourth which put us in the redraw.”

Following heat race action, Turner went to the redraw, where he pulled the sixth starting spot for the Feature and quickly made a charge forward. Turner made his way up to the third spot before he spun at the top of turn three on lap nine.

“I kept moving up, moving up and I went a little far,” Turner said. “I just entered too high. Usually if you’re in good dirt up there and you get a little sideways, if you stick your foot in the gas. the car will dig and it will pull out, but there was just nothing there and I spun out.”

The spin didn’t affect Turner too seriously, as he was able to race his way back from ninth to third before making a pass to get by Mikey Kruchka late in the race to take the runner-up spot.

“The car was good,” Turner said happily. “It definitely helped that I restarted in front of the cars that were a lap down. We didn’t have to go all the way to the back.”

Overall, Turner was extremely pleased with how his car handled and the speed it carried on opening night. There’s plenty of fine-tuning to be done over the course of the next five months of action, but Turner is certainly excited at the potential shown by his Hill’s Racing Team.

“We’ll try to make some shock adjustments to get through the bumps a little better,” Turner said “I’m hoping the track’s a little bit smoother, but if its not, we’ll be ready for it. On the podium opening night, you have to be happy with that.”

Turner will be back in action at Ohsweken on Friday, May 25. The team is considering several options for a second race on the weekend, but has not yet decided on a schedule. For the most up to date information, follow Cory Turner on Twitter and on Facebook at the links below.

About Clayton Johns Media: Clayton Johns Media provides smart motorsports media solutions through affordable public relations services, including professional press releases, social media management and training, and website maintenance. Whether you’re a grassroots team racing at your local track or a professional team travelling with a national tour, Clayton Johns Media can build a package tailored to your needs. Visit us online at claytonjohnsmedia.com, on Twitter, on Facebook or send us an Email for more information.

Matt Pritiko drives his No.21 down the backstretch at Sunset Speedway. (Photo by Alain Thiboutot).

LONDON, Ont. – May 22, 2018 – Matt Pritiko kicked off his 2018 racing season with a top-10 finish during the APC United Late Model Series season opener at Sunset Speedway on Sunday night. After a flurry of qualifying issues, Pritiko rallied to a seventh-place finish in the Kleen Flo 100 main event aboard his Global Warranty No.21 Toyota Camry.

After a busy afternoon practice session spent perfecting the car’s setup, Pritiko was primed for a strong qualifying run and a chance at a top-five starting spot in the main event, but had his efforts derailed after a contact with another car during the group session.

“We cut a tire down in qualifying due to contact with a slower car,” Pritiko explained. “We didn’t blow the tire, but we cut it enough that it wouldn’t hold a lot of air. We did post the eighth fastest lap after I spun out. We did one lap and got up to eighth, but then chose to change the tire so we had to start 26th.”

The tire change forced Pritiko to the rear of the starting grid, per the APC Series rulebook. Starting at the rear of a deeply talented field meant Pritiko had to be aggressive in order to make his way forward in just 100 laps, but also required patience to avoid any further incident.

“It got a little frustrating,” Pritiko admitted. “When you’re boxed in behind some cars you’re ready to pass, you can’t really go anywhere. You just have to sit tight and wait until one of the cars makes a move so you can get them both. We got stuck behind a couple cars for five or eight laps at a time and that’s what killed our opportunity to move up any further forward for a better final result.”

While Pritiko certainly would have preferred to leave the season opener with a win or a spot on the podium, there are still plenty of positives the London, Ont. driver will take from the race.

“We see it as a good bounce back and a good points night, despite all of the things that happened,” Pritiko said. “We would rather take a seventh-place than a tenth-place or worse.”

Pritiko was also pleased with the feel and performance of his brand new McColl Racing Enterprises-built car.

“I think we have a good balance on the new car,” Pritiko related. “The setup is great. We finally have a really nice long run car. The further it got into the race, the car stayed the same or got better off restarts, so I’m happy about that because last year we had a car that got loose as the race went on. I’m really happy with out new McColl car.”

Pritiko is also looking forward to the next Series race at Flamboro Speedway in two weeks time on Saturday, June 2. He heads to a track he has won at previously in search of his first win this season and with the knowledge he has the team and equipment to get the job done.

“We finally have all of the pieces together and I think we’re going to have a really fast car at Flamboro. We’ve won there in the past and I think we can definitely do it again,” Pritiko said excitedly.

The 2018 APC United Late Model Series schedule is composed of nine races at six different Ontario short tracks. Follow Matt Pritiko from the first green flag to the final checkered flag via his website at www.MattPritiko.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattPritiko, on Twitter @MattPritiko and on Intstagram @MattPritiko21.

About Clayton Johns Media: Clayton Johns Media provides smart motorsports media solutions through affordable public relations services, including professional press releases, social media management and training, and website maintenance. Whether you’re a grassroots team racing at your local track or a professional team travelling with a national tour, Clayton Johns Media can build a package tailored to your needs. Visit us online at claytonjohnsmedia.com, on Twitter, on Facebook or send us an Email for more information.

Ferguson Inches Out First Eastern Super Mini Cup Series Victory of 2018

(MISCOUCHE, PE - May 22nd 2018) Mark Ferguson (Saint John, NB) picked up right where he left off in 2017 by winning the Doc Dawson’s Enterprises Season Opener on Monday at Oyster Bed Speedway for the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series (ESMCS). Ferguson started on the front row of the nine car, 20-lap feature but would only win the feature by inches after a spirited battle with reigning Series champion Matt Watson (Miscouche, PE).

The pair would put on an incredible battle for the victory after a late race caution placed them on the front row for a restart. While Watson took the quick advantage on the restart, Ferguson never relinquished the pressure on the No. 88 car. After an unsuccessful attempt to pass Watson, Ferguson was able to make the top side of Watson work. His final move was made coming off Turn Four as they passed under the checkered flag.

“I thought I was in trouble (on that final restart),” said Ferguson in victory lane. “I figured if I could keep Matt pinned down to the inside that it would be my only shot. With a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck it all worked out for me.”

Watson was a late addition to the entry list for the Doc Dawson’s Enterprises Season Opener. Don Gaudet (Miscouche, PE) drove in the heat race with Watson driving in the Semi, which he won, and the feature. Gaudet announced before the event his car had been sold with the new owner taking to the track for the remainder of the season.

Jacob Dunlop was the surprise on the day. Dunlop finished runner-up to Ferguson in the opening Heat Race on the day and was the bridesmaid to Watson in the Semi. The rookie to the ESMCS may have taken a back seat to the duel between veterans up front but his performance was not overshadowed on Monday.

Prince Edward Island drivers Dave Griffin and rookie Randy Wilson completed the top five in the 20-lap feature event.

Special thanks to Doc Dawson’s Enterprises for partnering with the ESMCS for the Season Opener. Doc Dawson’s Enterprises is based in Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island and specializes in heat pump and ventilation systems with brands like LG, Keeprite and Daikin, among others. They service what they sell. Check out their Facebook page by searching Doc Dawson’s Ent.

The Eastern Super Mini Cup Series returns to action at Oyster Bed Speedway on Saturday, June 16th. It is the first night race at the track for the year and is Round Two of Seven on the Mini Cup schedule. Post time is 6pm. For complete information on the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series, please visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/EasternMiniCupCar.

About Oyster Bed Speedway:Oyster Bed Speedway is Prince Edward Island’s premier auto racing facility and features fun and excitement with weekly stock car racing special events throughout the season. The 1/3 mile paved oval is located in Oyster Bed Bridge at the intersection of routes 6 and 7, halfway between Cavendish and Charlottetown on beautiful Prince Edward Island. Phone: (902) 892-6684. Website: www.oysterbedspeedwaypei.com

About the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series:The Eastern Super Mini Cup Series offers all the excitement of stock car racing in a small package! Formed for competition in the Maritimes in 2012, the Series will visit three ovals between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick over seven events in their 2018 season. To keep up with the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series, like them on Facebook at Facebook.com/EasternMiniCupCar or follow them on Twitter at @ESMCSeries.

THOROLD, Ont. – May 21, 2018 – Shone Evans took the lead from Brad Herron on lap 13 and survived a pair of restarts over the final seven laps to earn his first career win with the Action Sprint Tour powered by RaceRivalz.com at Merrittville Speedway on Monday night.

“My team is, wow, without them I’m nothing,” Evans said in Victory Lane. “They get my car going good every night. The boys back in the pits had me setup pretty good. It was a little loose, but it worked out.”

Herron and Ryan Hunsinger drew front row starting positions for the main event after finishing in the top two of heat three. Both drivers had the option to take the Durnin Motors Front Row Challenge. The two front row drivers had the chance to give up their starting spots to drop to the 12th starting position for a chance at a $500 bonus courtesy of Durnin Motors if they could win the main event from the sixth row, however both drivers elected to keep their top spots.

Herron and Hunsinger raced side-by-side for the first three laps until Hunsinger prevailed with an early lead in the outside lane. The top two quickly opened a 10-car length advantage over third-place running Evans. Their advantage was erased, though, on lap three when Davey Boughton spun in turn two.

On the ensuing restart, Hunsinger got an excellent jump in his Transport Sales and Service No.43h. As Hunsinger ran the high side, Herron continued to stay low. Hunsinger continued to search for moisture on the outside and looked a little too far at the exit of turn four on lap nine as he stuck the right-rear tire into Merritville’s infamous front stretch moat, allowing Herron to drive by for the lead.

After Herron had the top spot, Hunsinger tried to recover the lead, but on lap 10 went over the end of turn four and spun to bring out the second yellow of the race. Hunsinger later revealed the left-rear shock had broken on his car. The caution promoted third-starting Shone Evans to second behind Herron and ahead of Holly Porter, 15-year-old pilot Liam Martin and Jesse Costa.Herron maintained his lead for two laps until Evans got an excellent run down the backstretch on lap 13 and drove to the outside of Herron with a burst of momentum that allowed him to grab the top spot off of turn four.

“I saw how Hunsinger and Brad were running the turns, so I knew I had a little bit more than they did,” Evans explained. “I just waited for my time and finally got around him.”

On the ensuing lap, the caution waved for the third time when Mike Bell parked his No.99 at the exit of turn four. Evans had no issues on the following restart and drove away from Herron to a half straightaway advantage with five laps to go.

Behind the top two, the battle for third raged on between Costa, Martin and Porter. After Evans took the white flag and appeared to have the race sewn up, the caution flag waved for the final time when AJ Lewis spun at the top of turn four, just in front of the leader.

The spin setup a green-checkered finish where Evans made no mistakes on the final lap to seal his first win with the Action Sprint Tour powered by RaceRivalz.com while Herron settled for second. Contact at the finish in the battle for third sent Costa sideways under the flag stand, but he held on to the final podium spot ahead of Aaron Turkey and Porter. Turkey was also the hard-charger of the race, advancing 12 positions from 16th to fourth.

After his third-place finish at Merrittville and a second-place result on Friday night at Ohsweken, Costa takes the early point lead away from the Action Sprint Tour’s opening weekend.

“It’s awesome,” Costa said of his strong opening weekend. “I’ve never led the points in (Sprint Cars) or ever been close. I have to thank Wells Foundry, DNO Towing, Best Safety Training and Magnum Signs for being so supportive of all this.”

Costa, Evans and Hunsinger won qualifying heat races. All 25 cars qualified for the 20-lap main event, which eliminated the need for a B-Main.

The Action Sprint Tour will now take a two week break before returning to action on Saturday, June 9 when it makes its debut appearance at South Buxton Raceway in Merlin, Ont. For event information, visit www.southbuxtonraceway.ca._____________________________________________________________Action Sprint Tour powered by RaceRivalz.com Race ReportMay 21, 2018Merrittville Speedway – Merrittville, Ontario, CanadaTotal Entries – 25

About the Action Sprint Tour: The Action Sprint Tour is a travelling Winged Sprint Car Series based in Ontario, Canada. The cars on the Action Sprint Tour are powered by GMC 602 Crate Motors modified specifically to fit a Sprint Car chassis. The Series is racing its inaugural season in 2018 and will run 10 races at 5 different Ontario tracks. Drivers will compete for a point fund and bonuses totaling $10,000. For additional information, including rules, event purse and series point fund, visit the Series official website at www.ActionSprintTour.com.

About RaceRivalz.com: The RaceRivalz.com mission is to enhance the fan experience of all things competitive and provide event promoters and sanctioning bodies a valuable and intriguing social media tool by engaging the audience through providing games of skill and chance at various events. RaceRivalz.com provides an opportunity to fans to earn amazing prizes while gaining a greater connection to their passions. It also offers an opportunity to promoters and sanctioning bodies to earn that same connection to their audience. For more information, visit RaceRivalz.com.

What is RaceRivalz.com?Rivalz is a game of both skill and chance. The object of the game is to predict the outcome of measured events before they happen. By combining numerous sets of options to Rivalz players, the possibility of getting everything right becomes increasingly slimmer. The player able to predict the most outcomes correctly can win exciting prizes and experiences that money can’t buy.

A 125 lap race held at Autodrome St-Eustache’s 4/10-mile track, located in the Lower Laurentians, just North of Montreal. 17 drivers lined up for the first race of the year, which was also the touring series’ first race in history.

“I am so pleased. Last year we were very fast, but we had a suspension part failure. I was very anxious as my engine was showing signs of weakness. I was expecting it to explode at any moment. The win is very sweet and is possible due to our sponsors and my team members” declared Trepanier. With this win brings his career total to five wins in the stock-car LMS ranks. Trepanier had recorded the fastest lap in two of three open practice sessions and won his qualifying race. He took the start in the third starting position and led the most laps (64) having led twice (8 to 66 and 119 to 125).

Jonathan Bouvrette the Champion and winner of two of the LMS rounds held in 2017 at St-Eustache recorded the fast lap of the day in practice (17.500). He was involved in a wreck while leading his qualifying race, but was luckier in the redraw for starting positions as he drew the number 4 chip. Bouvrette was one of four leaders and imposed his rhythm for 51 laps.

The driver, who won the Sportsman Lucas Oil and NASCAR Late Model Championships in 2017, Steve Cote, graduated to the CSCC Touring series. Despite limited experience in the LMS class of cars, he was identified as the favorite to win the race at his “home track”. He won his qualifying race and crossed the stripe in third place. Disappointed with his third place finish, he still showed the numerous fans on hand and his competitors that he will be a force to reckon with this summer.

Jean-Pierre Ouimet of Terrebonne took advantage of the Bouvrette and Martin Latulippe (Vallée-Jonction) incident to win the third qualifying race. Carburetor issues sidelined him in the feature race.

Pier-Luc Ouellette of Terrebonne and Patrick Cliche of Levis were the other feature race lap leaders having led each 1 and 5 laps. They finished respectively fifth and fourth in the feature race.

Fuller and Ferguson Continue Early Season Success while Winters Rabtoy and Pecore Grace Mohawk Victory Lane

By: Tim Baltz

Action Race Parts and Mohawk Plumbing were on hand for another solid night of racing action at the Mohawk International Raceway. With the Green's Performance Mod Lite division having the week off the Dirt Modified Nostalgia Tour joined the 4 regular divisions on a night that saw some great racing.

The Pete Mitchell Memorial qualifier for the Crossroads Tobacco Sportsman division was set for 35 fast laps with the race winner guaranteed to start at least 13th in the Pete Mitchell Memorial in August. Cedric Gauvreau took the lead at the drop of the green flag after he redrew the number 1 spot with Robert Delormier, Anthony Rasmussen, Johnathon Ferguson and Ricky Thompson giving chase. Gauvreau had a great race car in the first 7 laps until a caution flew for Kyle Sharp and Junior Delormier as they tangled in turns 3 and 4. On the restart Gauvreau continued to lead but Johnathon Ferguson was on the move and headed to the front. Ferguson would get by Robert Delormier and Anthony Rasmussen on lap 9 and quickly close in on the race leader. On lap 10 Gauvreau slid up the track allowing Ferguson to get by and begin to pull away. As the laps clicked off traffic became an issue but so was the racing groove. The bottom was the place to be as Ferguson held the lead but Robert Delormier was on the move and closed in on the race leader by lap 20 while Ricky Thompson, Chris Frennier and Ryan Stabler started to make a charge forward. Lapped traffic was playing a major role as to where the leaders would run but on lap 27 a 3 car tangle in turn 4 ended all that and would give Ferguson clear race track. When the green flew it was no contest as Ferguson moved away from the field but Shane Pecore and Chris Frennier were having a great battle having moved into the top 5 late in the race. Over the remaining laps Johnathon Ferguson never lost focus and kept the car on the low lane and despite a last ditch effort by Robert Delormier Ferguson would march on to score his 2nd win in a row.Robert Delormier would cross in 2nd while Chris Frennier had a career best 3rd place finish, Shane Pecore and Ryan Stabler would complete the top 5.

The Twin Leaf Convenience 358 Modified division was set to roll for 30 fast laps and last week's winner Tim Fuller was looking to duplicate the dominant performance from opening night. When the green flew Fuller took off from the pole over Corey Wheeler, Lance Willix, Todd Stone and Carey Terrance. With the low lane being the place to be Fuller would pull away from a quality field in the opening laps while Wheeler, Willix, Terrance and Stone tried to keep pace. It didn't take long for Fuller to get into traffic but he had plenty of time to pick his way through traffic as over a straightaway back Carey Terrance was on the charge getting by both Stone and Wheeler to move into 2nd on lap 11, but still had a ways to go to catch Fuller. Just past the halfway point Fuller was clearly the dominant force as he built up a huge lead while Terrance did everything he could to chip away at the deficit. After a season that saw him win the opening 2 weeks of the year Tim Fuller would replay this movie a year later as he would go unmatched in a caution free race to score his 2nd win in as many weeks at MIR. Carey Terrance took his Twin Leaf Convenience machine to a runner up finish in his first start of the season with Corey Wheeler, Lance Willix and Todd Stone completing the top 5.

The Dirt Modified Nostalgia Tour was ready to take to the speedway for 15 laps and Cory Winters had a fast race car as he took the lead at the drop of the green flag over Nathan Berry Matt Barbour John Stanley and Evan Reynolds. Winters debuted his machine mid way through last season and was the clear dominant force as he drove away in the early laps as Nathan Berry and Matt Barbour were in a battle of their own for 2nd. At the halfway point it was Winters in front as he worked through a few lapped cars with no problem while Berry and Barbour continued to fight for 2nd with John Stanley and Evan Reynolds completing the top 5. In an event that saw no caution flags Cory Winters put it on auto pilot as he motored on to win the season opener for the Dirt Modified Nostalgia Tour. Nathan Berry had a great opening night coming home 2nd with Matt Barbour holding on to complete the podium. Cory Winters and Evan Reynolds claimed heat wins on the night.

Novice Sportsman had another solid field as Xavier Perrin would jump out to the early lead and drive away from everyone in the opening laps while Thomas Jock III, Eugene Tarbell, Dylan Rabtoy and Brian McGinnley completed the top 5 early on. Perrin had the fastest car on the track and was running away and hiding from the field but Jock, Tarbell and Rabtoy were in their own war for a top 5 position. At the halfway point it looked like it was going to be a sure win for Perrin as lapped traffic was not even a factor, however a yellow flag with 2 to go would bunch up the field for a key restart for Dylan Rabtoy. When the green flew Perrin did not get the start he wanted allowing Jock to move to the high lane. coming off turn 4 Perrin got loose as he slid up the track allowing Rabtoy to take over the lead. Dylan Rabtoy had run great on asphalt and on this night he put it all together as he scored his first ever win on dirt at Mohawk. Last Week's winner Corbin Millar would cross in 2nd with Tommy Jock III, Xavier Perrin and Brian McGinnley completing the top 5.

The 10 lap Bandit feature got off to a rocky start for last week's winner RJ Tressider as he spun early on lap 2 and fought handling issues the entire night, at the front of the field the story was different. Gary Sharlow would lead the way early on over Nick Perham and Mike Pecore. However Sharlow's night would go bad in a hurry as he went pit side on lap 3. When the green flew and the laps clicked off Mike Pecore held the lead over Nick Perham and Shane Ray. These 3 cars put on a great show at the front with neither driver getting an advantage. Pecore and Ray would make a race out of it in the late stages as they battled hard for the win. Despite one last effort by Shane Ray it was not enough as Mike Pecore would take his first ever Bandit win. Shane Ray held on for 2nd over Nick Perham, Ian Bressett and RJ Tressider.

Next week Frenchie's Chevrolet and Frenchie's Ford will present the 50 lap Memorial Cup for the Twin Leaf Stores 358 Modified division as they take center stage and it's also first leg in the 3 race 358 Modified series. The Crossroads Tobacco Sportsman will be on hand along with the Green's Performance Mod Lites, Novice Sportsman and Bandits. Racing begins at 7:30pm. For more information you can check out our website at mohawkintraceway.com or look us up on Facebook.